Ranks and Rules

IKMF CMS ranks can be obtained in competition.

Please Contact Yann Mancel to hear the details. Any Rank or IKMF diploma are paid in euro (15€). No membre country Rank or IKMF diploma are paid in euro (30€) . The annual IKMF contribution (to be paid on January 1st) is 120€. To pay by PayPal to ikmfbank2@gmail.com (be careful to send to a friend to avoid taxes). From 2025, only country representatives will be allowed to pay for diplomas (judges, rank and record....). They will do it for their athletes. This is to avoid mistakes.

IKMF MS and MSWC ranks can only be attained in IKMF international competitions (ONLY in the IKMF Continental Championships and IKMF World Championships).

CMS rank (IKMF)  is the minimum rank required to compete at important international competitions. A CMS is necessary for each movement and competition events. During a continental or world championship, if an athlete is alone in his category, and his result is not equal to the minimum of a CMS, he does not receive the title of continental or world champion. But he'll have a participation document ,but no medals. . The veteran 3 and +, who does not have a Ranking table, must validate a national rank among veterans 2, to be world champion if they find themselves alone in their category.

Ranks were a sport classification system in the USSR which provided general requirements for athletes. IKMF has no official ties to those titles and offers those ranks only as an incentive and recognition of kettlebell marathon athletes.

• Honoured Master of Sport (HMS), equates to an international champion who has made valuable contributions to the sport.
• Master of Sport World Class (MSWC), equates to an international champion.
• Master of Sport (MS), equates to national champion.
• Candidate Master of Sport (CMS), equates to an athlete allowed on a national team.
• No CMS ask to participate as veterans 3
• No CMS ask to Kid's , junior , student
• No CMS ask to IKMF Games
• No CMS ask to IKMF pentathlon
• Other ranks, such as national rank are entry level ranks such as regional, or city winner.

To be authorized validated a rank it is necessary to belong to the member countries of the IKMF and for that it is necessary to pay the annual subscription 120€ per country. To be paid before January 31 of each year. After the date, the obligation will amount to 240€. Pay at ikmfbank2@gmail.com to PayPal (be careful to send "to a friend" to avoid taxes).

Kid's & Junior categories : 

Children under 11 can compete on 30min to 4kg with the parent's permission.

In IKMF Continental Championship's & IKMF World Championship's : there is no obligation for children to validate a rank to participate in the Continental and world championship. 

For kid's,  juniors and students, in Pentathlon the weight of kettlebells is free.  It is up to the parents to choose the kettlebell weights. Be careful not to endanger the safety of your children with excessively heavy kettlebell weights. Parents have the right to ask to have their child participate in a higher age category if they wish (only if the child has the physical and technical capacity to do so).

Competition events There are 4 formats for official competitions:

- Ikmf Games ( 1kettlebell or 2 kettlebell )

- Ikmf Penthatlon ( 1 kettlebell or 2 kettlebell )

- 30 min - kettlebell half marathon (1 kettlebell and 2 kettlebells)

- 60 min  - kettlebell marathon (1 kettlebell) In both cases, if an athlete puts the kettlebell down before the time is over, he/she is disqualified. In both formats, multiple hand switches are allowed. To register in Elite Class, the athlete must have an officially recognised CMS rank (GS or Marathon). The rank can be certifying only by an IKMF judge during a competition. For athletes who do not have the elite level (CMS, MS, MSWC) and for kids and juniors, an international amateur championship is organized at each continental and world championship. In this competition, a coefficient will be used in order to determine the winners across weight categories.

2.Disciplines There are 4 disciplines for competition events to compete in:

● Jerk (1 kettlebell and 2 kettlebells)

● Long cycle (1 kettlebell and 2 kettlebells)

● Snatch (1 kettlebell)

● Half snatch (1 kettlebell and 2 kettlebells) 

The age category is defined by the year of birth according to the current year: day and month of birth are not considered. There are 9 age groups:

• Kids 1 (7-9 years)

• Kids 2 (10-12 years)

• Junior  (13-15 years)

• Student (u19): 16-18 years

• Open division: 19-39 years

• Veteran 1: 40-49 years

• Veteran 2: 50-59 years

• Veteran 3: 60-69 years

• Veteran 4: 70+

years Athletes of the Veteran age groups are always allowed to compete in the open division or in a lower age group at their own risk and decision. Junior athletes can participate in older age groups only with parental permission. Kids and juniors 7-16 years old can compete at the international amateur junior championships. 

• Each competitor will be weighed in before the event in a designated area.

• Teams must come to the weigh in as a group, along with their team captain. Athletes must supply ID (passport) to control their age.

• The weigh-in equipment used at the event will be chosen and calibrated by the weigh-in judge, and all competitors will be weighed with the same equipment.

• The results of the weigh-in are final once the allocated time period for weigh-in has expired.

• 2 competition officials must supervise the weigh-in procedure, fill in the last details of the athletes’ registration (bodyweight and weight group, birth year and age group, kettlebell size) and collect the cards.

• Cards must be passed on to the head judge 

if 2 athletes of the same category have an identical result, in order to decide between them, it will be the one with the smallest body weight who wins.

Kids from 7 to 10 are not subject to the coefficient Kids and junior from 11 to 18 years are subject to the coefficient There are 3 weight divisions for all other athletes (u19 to veterans):

• -60, 60/-70, +70kg for women ( marathon , pentathlon , ikmf games 1 kettlebell ) 

• -75, 75/-85, +85kg for men ( Marathon, pentathlon , ikmf games 1 kettlebell)

-53kg , 53/60kg , 60/-67kg , 67/-74kg , +74kg for women ( ikmf games 2 kettlebell )

-70kg , 70/-77kg , 77/-84kg , 84/-91kg , Over 91kg for men ( Ikmf games 2 kettlebell )

• Competitors must wear appropriate footwear and clothing.

• Athletes must compete with their bare hands.

• Long-sleeved tops and long pants (even tight-fitting) are prohibited.

• Shirt sleeves must not cover the elbows.

• Shorts must be above the knee.

• It is forbidden to compete barefoot or in open-toed shoes.

• A weightlifting belt, with a maximum width of 12 cm, may be worn over clothing.

• Wrist guards no wider than 12 cm may be used.

• Knee pads  and Elbow pads prohibited (except on medical certificate)

• Headphones are not allowed.

• A chalk belt can be used.

it is forbidden to wear a hat, cap, scarf or other head cover. Only sweatbands are allowed.

• Platforms must be a minimum of 1,15*1,15m with at least 1m space in between each to provide safety 4

• Kettlebells must be of international standards for athletes over 15. Younger athletes may compete with smaller size kettlebells. Weight must not deviate by more than +/- 200g. Kettlebell chromiated or nickel-plated grips are not accepted.

• Dimensions : - height: 280 mm - diameter of body of kettlebells: 210 mm - diameter of the handle: 33- 35 mm

• Color codes (kettlebells must be painted or have a color ring at the base of the handle)

la couleur des poid de kettlebell intermédiaire ( 2kg en 2 kg ) sera variable en fonc des marques de kettlebells utilisées par les organisateurs de compétitions.

- 8kg : pink

- 12kg : blue

- 16kg: yellow

- 20kg: purple

- 24kg: green

- 28kg: orange

- 32kg: red

- 40kg : White

• Kettlebells must be prepared behind the platforms and not be transported to the warm up area.

• The warm up area must be separated from the competition area.

• Flights for the day must be displayed in the warm up area.

• For international competitions, there must be a minimum of 3 kettlebells of each size from 8-40kg in the warm up area.

• At the local level competitions, athletes may bring their kettlebells. They must be able to be used by ALL competitors after the head judge has checked and approved the equipment. 

• The team (in individual or team competition) must always have a designated team captain.

• The team captain, who is the representative of the entire team, has full responsibility for the organization of the team and the discipline of the participants. The team captain is required to attend all meetings with the judges and other representatives. He/She must further ensure that all team members arrive on time for the competition, opening parade, awards ceremony, doping control and awards.

• The team captain must be present during the weigh-in procedure.

• Representatives, coaches and team members are strictly prohibited from remaining near the competition area (platform) during the athlete's attempt. They will only be allowed to stay in areas specifically designated for this purpose.

• Team representatives/captains/athletes are prohibited from interacting with judges and athletes during the competition.

• the captain of the team and the representative of the country are authorized to contest and protest with the chief judges, but only by mail

(ikmfworld@gmail.com) after the competition by bringing the competition video. If the country rep is right then we will make the changes to the judgment .

• When the athlete is alone (without a team captain and without a country representative), the athlete can ask someone from the panel of expert judges or the IKMF council to supervise the set. 

Each repetition counts for 1 point. The athlete with the highest points wins his division. In the event of a tie, the victory will be awarded to the competitor with the lowest bodyweight at the time of weigh-in (or in some cases, after the flight is over). 

• Each competitor is allowed to designate one (1) person as their assistant.

• An assistant may give chalk, water or food to the athlete while he rests in a legal position or keeps on lifting. • Assistants must stay by the judge’s table or behind the athlete until called upon.

• An assistant/coach is not allowed to speak to or interact in any way with the platform judge.

• An assistant/coach is not allowed to speak to, harass, or try to distract another competitor in any way.

• Assistants/coaches must conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner at all times. No outbursts of profanity are allowed.

• If an assistant/coach violates any of the above rules they will be asked to leave the coaching area immediately and will not be allowed to coach any other competitors for the remainder of the event. Any subsequent violation will result in instant removal from the venue 

Doping is prohibited at IKMF,

all athletes tested positive for an anti-doping test will be severely punished or banned from IKMF.

IT’s the IKMF country representant who present the athletes listing for participate to the world or continental competition. Once an athelet has been sanctioned he or she cannot compete in IKMF or IKMF related events (like the UGC) until the sanction has been lifted. Atheletes with dual nationality cannot compete for either one of the countries of their nationality. 

If an athlete have any limitations (knees, elbows,forearm, shoulders….) he need to have with him/her a medical certificat which attest this limitation and present this document to the judge before the set.